Is it true that the “Kukla” tomato is the best variety for growing in a greenhouse?

Every gardener’s dream is delicious and beautiful tomatoes. Breeders are constantly working to develop new varieties that will be easy to care for, resistant to diseases and produce a good harvest. The hybrid Kukla is one of the innovative crops.

Description and characteristics of the hybrid

Determinant The Kukla f1 tomato has proven itself to be an unpretentious and productive hybrid for growing in open ground. Bred by SeDeK and entered into the State Register in 2006.

Low bushes (on average up to 65 cm) are distinguished by a moderate number of shoots and small leaf size. However, with such parameters, the bushes need shaping.

The crop is prolific and extremely resistant to tomato diseases and pests. It is grown both in open ground and in greenhouses. On one bush, several fruits of the same size ripen at the same time. The output of commercial products is complete. From each square meter (with proper care) up to 9 kg of vegetables are harvested. The productivity of the Kukla hybrid is from 263 to 632 centners per hectare.

Quite large fruits (up to 400 g) are attractive in appearance: they are pink with a shiny tint. The tomatoes are aromatic, the dense pulp is characterized by sugar content. Tomatoes are added to both nutritious and dietary salads. They are suitable for conservation. They are stored intact for a long time, without cracking, and tolerate transportation well.

Pros and cons of a hybrid

The undoubted advantages of tomatoes:

1. Flower clusters are laid early.
2. The fruits ripen faster than other varieties and hybrids, which avoids defeat late blight.
3. The harvest is distinguished by high volumes and friendly returns.
4. The tomato is less susceptible to diseases and is easy to care for.
5. The hybrid takes root in open and closed ground.
6. The fruits have a sweet taste.
7. Tomatoes are universal in use: they are used fresh, preserve for the winter, juices and sauces are prepared from them.
8. During storage, the fruits do not crack and are highly transportable.

Despite a number of advantages, the hybrid has minor disadvantages:

1. Seeds have to be purchased annually, since the collected material does not retain the quality parameters of the hybrid.
2. Low bushes still need garter.
3. It is important to water the crop in a timely manner.
4. The determinate form does not always suit gardeners, since the bushes stop growing after the formation of ovaries.

The limited growth of the crop does not prevent the advantages from fully manifesting themselves when the hybrid is properly cultivated.

How to grow

Tomatoes are grown using the seedling method. Sowing is carried out 1.5-2 months before transplanting into the ground. Before doing this, pay attention to whether the seeds have been treated against pests and diseases by the manufacturer. This is indicated by the coating with colored granules.

If there is no treatment, the seeds are soaked in warm water for 30 minutes, wrapped in a damp cloth and left until they hatch.

Obtaining seedlings

Sprouted seeds are planted in prepared soil, purchased in a store or prepared independently. The composition of loose and nutritious soil includes turf soil, sand, compost, black soil in a ratio of 2:1:1:1.

The bottom of the containers is drilled, a layer of drainage is poured and filled with ready-made soil. Do not fill the container completely, leave 2 cm to the edges. The soil is disinfected by pouring boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm, maintaining a distance between them of up to 3 cm. They are covered with earth, watered and covered with film or glass. This will maintain optimal humidity and the seeds will germinate faster.

With the appearance of the first shoots, the shelter is removed, the container with young seedlings is moved to a lighted place. The temperature should not exceed +16 °C. Picking into individual containers is carried out when the first 2 leaves appear. In order for the root system to strengthen and form, the seedlings are buried in the soil.

Planting tomatoes in the ground

2 weeks before planting in the soil, the prepared seedlings are hardened off: they are taken out into the fresh air every day, gradually increasing the time they spend outside. At the time of planting, the bushes should be outside all day.

Seedlings are transplanted to a permanent location at two months of age, when the plant height reaches 30 cm and there are up to 6 leaves on the stem. Replant together with a lump of earth.

Reference! To grow tomatoes, choose a sunny area where legumes, garlic, and cucumbers used to grow.

Watering and care

They get a generous and tasty harvest with proper care of the hybrid:

1. For rapid fruit ripening, regularly stepson shoots.
2. Tomatoes are fed with complex fertilizers.
3. Particular attention is paid watering: The doll does not tolerate cold water, so the liquid is warmed up in the sun during the day, and the soil is moistened in the evening. Water the bushes at the roots.
4. The beds are regularly weeded no deeper than 10 cm: weeds should not choke the tomato stems.To reduce the frequency of weeding, the ground is mulched with straw, sawdust or peat. Periodically loosen the soil.
5. Avoid the proximity of the crop to eggplants and peppers, especially bitter varieties.
6. When the bushes reach a height of 1 m, they are tied up.

Caring for a hybrid is simple, but requires systematic and thorough care.

Prevention of diseases and pests

Hybrid Doll is resistant to tobacco mosaic and verticillium. However, if the summer is humid with high temperatures, the crop is susceptible to fungal diseases:

• stems, leaves and fruits of the crop may suffer from late blight, which manifests itself in the form of brown spots;
• greenhouse tomatoes are affected by powdery mildew, which covers the leaves with a white coating or yellowish spots;
• dry or black spotting appears on both green and ripe fruits;
• wilting of the upper leaves, small dark spots on them indicate anthracnose damage;
• septoria blight is characterized by small specks with a black outline, which leads to drying of the leaf system;
• gray rot is an enemy of tomato stems and fruits, often transmitted from neighboring cucumber crops. The fungicides Bayleton and Euparen are used against the disease.

To prevent and treat fungal diseases, plants are sprayed with special means: “Topaz”, “Strobe”, “Quadris”. Treatment is carried out every 2 weeks 3 times.

The main pest of Kukla tomatoes is the Colorado potato beetle. Newly planted young shoots can be destroyed by it in a day. To protect plants, they are sprayed with insecticides. Before planting, tomato roots are soaked in Aktara solution for 2 hours (1 packet per 2 liters of water). Mature plants are more resistant to pest attacks.

Attention! Mature fruits that have been damaged cannot be sprayed. Therefore, tomatoes at the stage of milk ripeness are periodically picked and placed in containers for ripening.

Other pests of the Doll are the whitefly, the mole cricket and the gnawing cutworm. “Confidor”, “Thunder” and “Strela” are used against them, respectively.

Reviews from gardeners

Many vegetable growers are attracted by the low growth of the hybrid - it does not take up much space. Almost everyone who leaves reviews about the Doll is amazed by the germination and productivity of the crop:

Tamara, Ryazan: «A good tomato, I liked the even, identical tomatoes, as in the photo, weighing 100–150 g. The taste is ordinary, with a slight sourness. The fruits store well and are suitable for canning.”

Valentina, Moscow region: “The fruit has a sweet and sour tomato taste, the skin is strong and does not crack. It’s just that the hybrid didn’t impress with its size.”

Svetlana, Penza: “I raised the Doll in a greenhouse and open ground. There were no problems with care. The clusters produced 6 fruits, identical and even. Firm, tasty tomatoes are suitable for salads and canning. Productivity is high."

Conclusion

Tomato Doll f1 is a welcome guest in the beds of gardeners looking for early and productive crops for open ground and greenhouses. With regular care, the hybrid produces an abundance of large, beautiful fruits that are versatile in cooking. From 1 m2 you get 8-9 kg of tomatoes.

The fruits ripen early, for this reason they do not have time to become infected with late blight.